Rusty Traque posted:rattler21 posted:briansilvermustang posted:
I think the Frisco first used this paint scheme in 1973 when some free thinker realized locomotive #1776 could use a patriotic paint scheme. After than, others followed suit. John in Lansing, ILL
Seaboard Coast Line did the first bicentennial locomotive:
Rusty
Yep, and that locomotive inspired Bachmann (in both HO and N scale) and Lionel (in O) to produce Spirit of 76 sets circa 1974 featuring that SCL U36B locomotive. Tyco cheated by copying that scheme onto an Alco Century 430 and sold a humongous number of HO sets.